Headline A

Search for Missing Bride Continues

Headline B

Bride Missing!!! Groom’s Family Blame History of Mental Illness!!!

1. How are these headlines different?2. If you wanted to read these two articles, which one would you want to read?3. Why would newspapers present the same story in a different manner?

Headline A

Search for Missing Bride Continues

Headline B

Bride Missing!!! Groom’s Family Blame History of Mental Illness !!!

Spanish-American War• Spain was once the world’s greatest empire, but by 1890

it only controlled Cuba, the Philippines, and Guam.• Most Cubans were poor laborers who worked on sugar or

tobacco plantations.• Cubans began to want their independence from Spain.• Jose Marti attempted to led the Cuban revolt, but the

Spanish sent an army to brutally crush the rebels.• Cubans were forced into concentration camps and many

died or disease or starvation.

Let my people be free!

Yellow Journalism• The mistreatment of the Cubans by the Spanish

caused alarm in the United States.• These events were reported on by U.S.

newspapers like Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World and William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal.

• These newspapers deliberately sensationalized the news, showing the Spanish as murderous brutes in order to sell more newspapers.

Yellow Journalism• This technique of exaggerated

reporting became known as Yellow Journalism.

• It gave the American public a distorted view of events in Cuba.

• This misinformation caused Americans to worry about U.S. investments and citizens living in Cuba at the time.

• Soon it would escalate to war.

Causes of the War• In 1898, a letter by the Spanish Ambassador De Lome

was published in American newspapers.• This De Lome letter called the American Pres. McKinley

‘weak’ and it angered Americans.• Soon an American battleship, the U.S.S. Maine was sent

to investigate in Cuba.• While moored in a Havana Harbor, it was sunk by a

mysterious explosion killing 258 U.S. sailors.• America was outraged and cried for war!

“Remember the Maine”

The American

President is weak

The Spanish-American War Begins

• The Spanish-American War would be fought on two fronts:– The Philippines in the Pacific – Cuba in the Caribbean Sea

• The Spanish were quickly defeated in the Battle of Manila Bay in the Philippines.

• The U.S.A. took control of the Philippines, even though the Filipino people had expected their freedom would be given to them by the United States.

The Spanish-American War Begins• After the quick victory in the Philippines, the

U.S. turned towards Cuba in the Caribbean.• Teddy Roosevelt raised a volunteer force

called the “Rough Riders”.• The Rough Riders won the Battle of San

Juan Hill in Cuba.• The U.S. also took control of Guantanamo

Bay in Cuba (We still have it).

Spanish-American War Is A Turning Point• The U.S.A. took control of Cuba just as it had the

Philippines.• Some American soldiers had to be removed from Cuba

because of yellow fever spread by the mosquito.• The treaty signed ending the Spanish American War gave

the U.S.A. control of colonies formerly controlled by Spain.

• These lands included Cuba & Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea, as well as the Philippines and Guam in the Pacific Ocean.

• The Spanish-American War marked the end of Spain’s colonial empire and the beginning of the U.S.A. as a world power!

• But, it also brought the problem of what would the U.S.A. do with these new possessions? Keep ‘em or Free ‘em?

• Should we become an imperial power?• Many Americans believed we should annex the territories

won in the Spanish American War. These people were called imperialists.

• Imperialists felt the U.S. should expand and grab colonies while it could before the opportunity to do so was gone.

Spanish-American War Is A Turning Point

Conclusion

The Spanish American War (1898)Caused by:

1.Yellow Journalism2. The De Lome letter3. The U.S.S. Maine explosion